Latch



July 22, 1930. G. E; RoEDDlNG 1,771,100

LATCH Filed ual-ch 28. 1929 z sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEKS.

July 22, 1930- G. E. Rol-:DDING 1,771,100

LATCH Filed March 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

` MHH? gw@ W6 ATTORNEYS Patented July 22, 1930 1 UNETE TATS PATENT @FWCE GORDON E. ROEDDING, F GRAND RAEDS, lVIG-IGAN, ASSGNP. T0 GRAND RAPIDS :BRASS COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHGAN, A CORGRATION OFMICHIGAN LATCH Application filed. March 28, 1929. Serial No. 350,516.

This invention relates to latches. The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved latch particularly suitable for refrigerators, ice boxes and the like; Ato provide an improved latch of the type in which the latch lever is releasably retained in open position and is released from such position by engagement with its keepergto provide an improved latch which can be assembled from sheet metal die stampings; to provide an improved latch which can be placed on either the right or left side of a door and to provide an improved latch which has a relatively strong stiff spring for normally holding the latch lever in normal position but which can be tripped from its open position by slight pressure against the keeper.

An illustrative embodiment vof this invention is shown in the aoompanying drawings,

in which Fig. 1 is a face view of the latch mounted on a fragmentary portion of a door with the latch lever engaged in a keeper mounted on afragmentary portion of a door casing, and with a portion of the latch housing broken away to show the interior arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation taken from the left side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4.- is a plan view of the partition plate which is mounted within the housing.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line Fig. 6 a fragmentary view in perspective of the latch lever.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the housing base plate.

Fig. A8 is a view in elevation of the sheet metal housing within which the various parts are assembled, the view being taken from the right end as viewed in Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 9 is a view in perspective of the resilient ring which cooperates with the torsion spring.

In the constructions shown in the drawings, a housing l preferably of pressed sheet metal and of generally rectangular shape is provided with laterally extending marginal flanges 2 and 3 on opposite sides thereof which have suitable holes therein for receiving attaching screws 4 and 5. The housing l is open on its base side and is notched out at the two sides opposite to the sides which carry'the flanges 2 and 8. A partition plate 6 of rectangular elongated form has its opposite ends suitably notched to fit within the notched out openings of the housing 1 and is positioned so as to divide the interior of the housing into twosubstantially equal compartments. A pivot pin 7, provided with an annular shoulder 8, is mounted rnedially ofthe partition pla-te 6 adjacent the rear end ythereof and projects perpendicularly from the opposite sides of said plate.

When the plate 6 is assembled in the heus# ing 1, the top end 9 of the pivot pin 7 abuts against the under side 10V of the housing 1 and a torsion spring 11 has convolutions 12 surrounding the pivot pin 7 between the shoulder 8 and the top end 9 thereof. A resilient sleeve 13 is surrounded by the convolutions l2 and bears against the inner sidesthereof for keeping the coils in align-Y ment and for distributing the flexing of Y said spring so as to materially add to the useful life of it.

The spring 11 is provided with transversely disposed ends 14 and l5 which extend downwardly through an elongated arcuate slot 16 formed in the partition plate 6 with the center of the pivot pin 7 as the center upon which the arc is formed.

The open side of the housing 1 is provide-d with a base closure plate 17 which has short tongues 18 and 19 on opposite ends thereof for interfitting in the notched lout ends of said housing. Medially of the base plate 17 and closely adjacent the rear end thereof, the metal is pressed inwardly to form a broad frusto-conical bearing 2O which is provided with an opening through the center 'thereof for receiving the lower end 21 of pivot pin 7 A latch lever 22 of channel shape cross section and preferably formed of sheet metal is provided with a hole .J3 for receiving the pivot pin 7. The lever 22 is mounted between the partition plate 6 and base plate 17 and is pivotally swingable in a plane parallel to the plane of said plates. rlhe hole 23 is of slightly larger diameter than the pivot pin 7 so that said lever is permitted to have limited rocking movement on its pivotal connection in a plane perpendicular or transverse to the axis of said pivot pin.

rlhe lever 22, forwardly of its pivotal mounting, has a portion ot its web cut away and the side langes bowed outwardly as shown at 2e'- and 25 for receiving the downwardly projecting ends 14e4v and 15 of the torsion spring 11.

The lever 22 is also provided with .shoulders 2G and 27 on the side thereof adjacent the base plate 17. The base plate 17 is provided with two pairs oi' soc iets 23 and 29 for receiving the shoulders 26 and 27 when the lever is moved a pre-determined distance on its pivotal connection in either direction from its iiorinal central position, which normal position is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Means are provided tor urging the shoulders 26 and 2T into the sockets 2S and 29 when in registry therewith and comprise a resilient tongue 30 struck downwardly from the partition plate 6 so as to lvieldingly bear against the adjacent top side o t the lever 22 as shown in Fig. 2 et the drawings.

rlhe lever 22 projects from the opposite ends et the housing 1 and the rear end is curved upwardly to forni a handle 31 which may be grasped by the user for operating the device. rl`he opposite end of the lever which projects from the front end of the housing 1 is provided with a roller 32 which cooperates with a keeper 33 secured to the door easing by screws 3d and The keeper 33 is also provided with an outstanding cam shoulder 36 which is adapted and positioned to strike the roller 32 and 'disengage the shoulders 2G and 27 from their sockets 23 when the door of the device upon which the latch is mounted is swung shut. if the latch is mounted on the right side oi the door then the shoulders 26 and 27 are engaged in the sockets 29 when the lever is swung to an open position Jfrom normal. D

In the operation of this device, the length or the slot 1G is the same as the inside distance between the bowed out portions 2e and 25 ot the lever 22 so that the downwardly projecting ends l-l and i5 of the torsion spring 11 bear against the outer ends of the slot 1G and against the inner sides of the bowedportions 24 and 25 for holding the lever 22 in a. nornial central position as shown in Fig. 1 oi? the drawings.

l/Vhen the handle 31 is grasped and swung downwar llv as viewed in Fig. 1, the transverse end 15 of spring l1 is carried upwardly in the slot 16 toward the transverse end 14 ot said spring. XVhen the latchlever is thus pivotally moved a distance Suiiicient to disengage the roller 32 from the keeper 33, the slidulders 2G and 27 come in registry with the sockets 2S and the spring tongue 30 rocks the lever 22 on its pivot so as to cause said shoulders to enter said sockets and thus releasably secure the lever in such position. `iii/Then the door of the refrigerator or other article upon which the latch is mounted is swung shut, the roller 32 will contact with the cam shoulder 36 thereby pushing the shoulders 2G and 27 out of their sockets and thus permitting the torsion spring 11 to return the lever to its normal central position.

'lf he resilient sleeve 13 is surrounded by the convolutions 12 of the torsion spring 11 and bears slightly against the inner side thereotl so that when the ends lil and 15 of the spring are swung together, the ieXing of the spring is more evenly distributed throughout its cenvolutions thereby adding materially to the useful lite of said spring.

lVith the two sets ot sockets 28 and 29 arranged equi-distantly from the normal cen-` tral position of the latch lever, this latch may be mounted on either the right or left hand sides of doors, the operation in either instance being substantially the same.

Although but one specilic embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered. or omitted without departing from the spirit ot Jthis invention as defined by the tollowing claims.

.l claim:

1. A latch comprising a housing, a partition plate in said housing, a base plate on said housing, a lever pivoted on .said housing between said plates and swingable in a plane parallel to the plane oic said plates, the pivotal mounting of said lever permitting a rocking thereof in a. plane transverse to the plane et' its pivotal movement, said partition plate having an elongated slot therein, a torsion spring in said housing on the side of .said partition plate opposite to said lever7 transversely disposed ends on said spring extending through d slot and engaging said lever for urging said lever to a normal position, a shoulder on said lever, said base plate having a .socket therein for receiving` said shoulder when said lever is moved from its normal position and yielding toiurging said .shoulder into said socket when in registrv therewith. Y u

2. A latch comprising a housing, a partition plate in said housing, a` base plate on said housing, a lever pivoted on said housing between said plates and swingable in a plane parallel to the plane of said plates, the pivotal mounting ot said lever permitting a rocking thereof in plano transverse to the plane of its pivotal movement, said partition plate having an elongated slot therein, a torsion D in .said housing on the side of said j Ltion plate opposite to said lever, transversely disposed ends on said spring extending through said slot and engaging said lever for urging said lever to a normal position, a shoulder on said lever, said base plate having a socket therein for receiving said shoulder when said lever is moved from its normal position and a resilient tongue struck from said partition plate for urging said shoulder into said socket when in registry therewith.

3. A latch comprising a housing, a partition plate in said housing, a pivot pin on said plate projecting :tromv the opposite sides thereoit,y a base plate on said housing, a lever journalled on said pivot pin between said plates, the mounting oi'said lever permitting a rocking thereof in a plane transverse to the axis et said pivot pin, said partition plate having an arcuate slot therein, a torsion spring in said housing on the side of said partition plate opposite to said lever and having convolutions surrounding said pivot pin transversely disposed ends on said spring extending through said slot and engaging said lever for urging said lever to a normal position, shoulder on said lev r, said base-plate having` a soelret therein for receiving said shoulder when said lever is moved from its normal position and a resilient tongue struck from said partition plate for urging said shoulder into said socket when in registry therewith.

el. i latch comprising a housing, a partition plate in said housing, a pivot pin on said plate projecting from the opposite sides thereof, a base plate on said housing, a lever journalled on said pivot pin between said plates, the mounting of said lever permitting a reelring thereof in a plane transverse to the airis of said pivot pin, said partition plate having` an arcuate slot therein, a torsion spring in said housing on the side ot said partition plate opposite to said lever and having ccnvolutions surrounding said pivot pin, a resilient sleeve surrounded by and bearing convolutions ot said torsion spring for distributing the flexing thereof, transversely disposed ends on said spring extendthrough said slot and engaging said lever for urging said lever to a normal position` a shoulder on said lever, said base plate having a soci-:et therein tor receiving said shoulder when said lever is moved from its normal position and a resilient tongue struck from said partition plate for urging said shoulder into said socket when in registry therewith.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set mj." hand at Grand Rapids, Michigan this 25th day of March, 1929. Y

GORDON E. ROEDDING- 

